The Dumbest Thing On Radio

There are a lot of things that can be improved on radio. As I've said before, there are also many things that are already done quite well in radio.

But the one that drives me bonkers as much as any other single thing is this:

"The Best of Today And Your All-Time Favorites"

Well, what the holy hell else would you play?

"The So-So Stuff From Today And Songs You Really Didn't Care About From Years Past"?

I was taught very early in my radio career that it is a huge mistake to use a lot of words without really saying anything important. You want to keep things concise and relevant to the listener in the shortest number of total words possible. I have stuck to that mantra throughout 35 years of being on air. Does that mean you cannot do a two-minute "bit" or give a one-minute explanation of something coming up promotionally? Of course not.

But it does mean if you've got nothing important to add, don't say it. Don't talk just to hear yourself talk. Sadly, you can hear people like this - those that love to hear themselves talk - on a station or stations in every city in America.

You would think, however, the very same advice consultants give you regarding what YOU say would also be followed by THEM when they help you create the imaging and the signature lines to describe your radio station.

"The Best of Today And Your All-Time Favorites" is a typical consultant copout. It says nothing. It makes no statement. It is bland. It is boring. It is painfully obvious. Above all, it is careful. I hate careful radio.

Make a statement. Be something. Define yourself and be different. Without naming names, I can name off the top of my head five markets where BOTH stations playing the same format of music (in this case country music) say the SAME THING. "Today's Best Country And Your All-Time Favorites".

Wow. Ooh. Thanks for giving me such a compelling reason to listen to your station instead of the other one. Said no one ever.